The L.A. Times music blog

Michael Jackson's legacy set in concrete at Grauman's

January 26, 2012 | 3:00
pm

Michael Jackson's three children led a celebration that immortalized their late father in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday.

Prince, Paris and Prince “Blanket” Michael II capped the hour-plus ceremony, which also featured dance tributes, song medleys and video montages, by imprinting the King of Pop’s hand and footprints in concrete.

The ceremony was held on a massive stage erected in front of Gruman’s under a promotional backdrop for the new Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil show “Immortal,” which opens at Staples Center on Friday.

Jackson’s brothers Tito and Jackie appeared with their mother, Katherine. They unveiled a 300-pound concrete slab featuring Jackson's signature and hand and footprints that had been made in 1984 for an unsuccessful, and eventually abandoned, Las Vegas Walk of Fame project. The slab was apparently discovered in the basement of the Riviera Hotel in 2006. His brothers said the slab will be placed next to a new one created Thursday.

“Michael, we miss you. That’s for sure. There’s hardly a day that goes by without him in mind," Tito said before further anecdotes were shared by the singer’s friends, including Chris Tucker, Smokey Robinson, Debbie Allen and Quincy Jones.

Paris introduced Justin Bieber, who nervously told the crowd of Michael Jackson's inspiration before singing “Rockin’ Robin,” a song he said he used to sing to himself in the mirror.

Jackson's children were left with the honor of imprinting the new square of concrete. Paris wrote her father's name and pressed a sequined glove into the concrete, and Jackson's two sons pressed a pair of his iconic loafers into the slab. The three then imprinted their handprints next to their father's.

The ceremony concluded with a glimpse of the “Immortal” show, which runs through Sunday. More than 15,000 viewers tuned in to watch the ceremony, which streamed live on UStream.